In a twist that’s shaken the AEW universe, the Mariah May and Toni Storm storyline has reached new heights following May’s shocking betrayal after her Owen Hart Foundation tournament victory. As the two prepare to face off at All In next month, AEW owner Tony Khan has pulled back the curtain, sharing how this compelling narrative was in the works long before May’s AEW debut last October.
In an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated, Khan recounted the genesis of the storyline, tracing it back to a conversation with top AEW star Bryan Danielson in May 2023.
“Bryan Danielson and I were flying home from Double or Nothing, and we were talking about wrestling and what stuck out to us,” Khan revealed. “And Bryan asked, ‘Have you seen Mariah?’ I said I had, and that I was amazed at how, very quickly, she’d become one of the top stars in Stardom. We both agreed she was very polished and charismatic. That’s when I asked Bryan if he’d seen ‘All About Eve’ and ‘Sunset Boulevard.'”
Khan’s vision for the storyline drew inspiration from classic Hollywood, and he wasted no time pitching the idea to May, who was enthusiastic about the concept. He then brought the idea to Storm, who was then the AEW Women’s World Champion and a key member of The Outcasts stable with Saraya and Ruby Soho.
“I went to Toni Storm and suggested these movies…because she had that larger-than-life persona like Gloria Swanson in ‘Sunset Boulevard’ and Bette Davis in ‘All About Eve,'” Khan explained. “That is ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm. She’s that starlet, with that presence…backstage, in the ring, out of the ring…of one of those rare old Hollywood stars. This is the role Toni was born to play, and she is absolutely incredible at it.”
To perfect the storyline, Khan revisited “Sunset Boulevard” for further inspiration, even casting Luther as Storm’s butler to capture the essence of old Hollywood glamour. He also consulted AEW personality and film aficionado RJ City, who played a crucial role in shaping the storyline.
“My right hand in all of this is RJ,” Khan said. “He was the only person in the office who’d seen ‘All About Eve’ and ‘Sunset Boulevard,’ and he understood old Hollywood and the old movies. He’s been so valuable and tremendous throughout this process. He has a great aptitude for wrestling, and he was also able to use these movies for inspiration.”
Khan expressed his pride in how well the storyline has unfolded, particularly praising May’s performance. He reminded everyone that May had only recently gained prominence in STARDOM before joining AEW and adapting to a completely different character.
“I saw something in her, and I asked her to do something very different when she came to AEW,” Khan said. “There was even some backlash at the beginning when people were pushing back that she came into AEW as this big fan of Toni Storm, which was very different from what she was doing in Stardom.
“Now we’re going to learn how and why she did all this, and how she became one of the biggest stars in wrestling in less than a year in AEW. Tonight, she’ll speak for the first time since this betrayal. We’ll hear what’s in Mariah’s heart, and I think people are going to be amazed at what they learn.”